Aquaculture is ‘the straightest and easiest road’ for the UAE, which imports 80 per cent of its food, to reach its self-set target of grabbing the Number 1 position in the Global Food Security Index by 2051, a leading aquaculture expert said.
The UAE, which is a major seafood export destination of leading supplier countries, has to make huge investments in aquaculture, especially if it wants to meet the food security target by 2051. The country, which has an estimated seafood market of $1.4 billion, has made a good start by actively encouraging innovative, technology-driven agricultural practices, which include vertical and smart farming, hydroponics and aeroponics, Shaji Baby John, chairman of Kings Infra Ventures, one of India’s leading companies focussing on sustainable aquaculture technology.
“The UAE offers an ocean of possibilities for Indian entrepreneurs. If the water resources under the desert sands can be utilised for aquaculture production, it will in fact be as important or even more important than the discovery of oil and the desert will become an oasis of economic prosperity,” said John.
“If India and the UAE, which is ranked as the ninth seafood export destination of the south Asian nation, can come together, they can alter the world fisheries scenario by creating a win-win situation. The UAE gets food security in addition to becoming the largest reprocessing hub catering premium seafood and aquaculture products to global markets and Indian businesses can utilise the world class amenities and infrastructure offered by the UAE to scale their businesses and launch global brands,” he said.
In 2023-24 fiscal, the UAE accounted for 2.15 per cent share of India export of 1.78 million metric tonnes of seafood worth $7.38 billion. Frozen shrimp remained the major export item in quantity and value with the Middle East accounting for 28,571 metric tonnes of it.
Estimates show that the UAE currently consumes about 2,20,000 tonnes of fish a year, over 85 per cent of which is imported with aquaculture providing only 2.0 per cent of the fish consumed locally. This is despite the UAE being home to a number of fish hatcheries including Sheikh Khalifa Marine Research Centre and Marine Studies Centre with a combined annual production capacity of 35 million, John noted, adding: “That explains why the UAE’s aquaculture needs huge investment. The government expects this investment to flow from the private sector since it describes the private sector “as a crucial backbone in our blueprint for aquaculture in the UAE.”
The UAE should adopt a three-pronged strategy, John said. First, by attracting innovative aquaculture players from India, to invest there, who can offer innovative solutions like farm automation, IoT, and drone management of offshore sites, said the expert who is coming up shortly with one of the most technologically advanced aquaculture projects in the UAE. Second, the UAE should heavily invest in India’s aquaculture landscape taking advantage of the 100 per cent FDI norms.
Third strategy revolves around the UAE emerging as the largest re-export centre of fish. For this, the country will need to invest in fish processing units with a key focus on global certification which is lacking currently. If this is done, then the fish it produces in India could be imported into the country, processed and re-exported.
The UAE has a specific advantage to become a major re-export centre since Dubai is the gateway to the world, with robust logistics infrastructure including world-class airports and seaports. The Kings Infra’s project for a Mariculture Eco Park in Tuticorin can be replicated on a much bigger scale in the UAE, John said. A mariculture eco park is an integrated and sustainable technology park focussed on bringing all activities relating to Aquaculture under one roof. Kings has also developed its own proprietary protocols namely SISTA360 as well as Probiotic and Mineral products to support farmers and entrepreneurs to grow shrimps sustainably and cost effectively.